Electric-switch mechanism



Jan. 28, 1930., n. D. Gommoni l 1,745,161 l ELECTRIC SWITCH MECHANI SM Filed' Jan. 51, 1925 umh i i, f 69 Patented Jan. 2s, 193e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID D. GORDON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ECONOMY FUSE @n MANUFAC- TURING CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC-SWITCH MECHANISM Application filed January 31, 1925.

The present invention relates to electric switch mechanism.

The present invention is useful and will be described in connection with electric sockets of the type in which the opening and closing of the electric circuit of said socket are accomplished alternately by alternate pulls on an operating member, such, for eX- ample, as a chain or cord.

An object of the present invention 1s to provide a switch mechanism involving` mechanism for moving a switch member from one biased position to another biased position, which switch mechanism will be cheap to manufacture and easy to assemble.

A further object is to provide switch mechanism of the type having means for selectively biasing same for different functions, which mechanism includes insulation between the operating means for said mechanism and both' sides of the electric circuit.

A further object is to provide an improved socket having a guide for the externally presented operating member of switch mechanism, which socket will be simple to manufacture and easy to assemble.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of an electric socket embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a. sectional view taken along the planes indicated bythe arrows 2-2 of Figure 1; i

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the detail of construction taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view of certain switch mechanism which may be fused in the socket chosen to illustrate the present invention,

said view being taken in the direction of the arrows 5--5 in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the planes indicated by the arrows 6-6 of Figure 3.

The electrical switch mechanism illus- Serial No. 5,914.

trated comprises a. pair of relatively stationary resilient switch contacts l() and 11, which relatively stationary switch contacts are adapted to be connected to the two sides of an electric circuits. Said contact members 10 and 11 are adapted to be bridged by the movable Contact member 12, which is supported for right line movement by the standard 12n and which is adapted to have a movement of reciprocation normal to the plane of the paper as the parts are viewed in Figure 3. The movable Contact member 12 has two biased positions, one position being in bridging relationship with the relatively stationary contact members 10 and 11 and the other biased position being out of bridging relationship with said relatively stationary cont-act members 10 and 11. Said relatively movable Contact member 12 is controlled by means of the spring member 13, which includes the coil 14; and the oppositely extending end portions 15 and 16. The end portion 15 of the spring member 13 abuts the relatively movable contact member 12, while `the outstanding end 16 of the spring member 13 has an abutment against the control lever 17, which is preferably made of metal. In operating the switch mechanism the control lever 17 is rotated through part of a revolution each time the operating member (to be referred to hereinafter) is pulled. Movement of the control lever 17 through part of its range of travel will cause the snapping of the relatively movable contact member 12 into bridging relationship with the relatively stationary contact members 10 and 11, while movement of the lever 17 through another| range of its movement will cause the snapping of the relatively movable member 12 out of bridging relationship with the Contact members 10 and 11. The construction involving the parts hereinabove described is no part of the present invention, but is referred to merely for the purpose of making clear the functions of the present invention.

The numeral. 18 indicates a shell, which may be of thin brass. Said shell is provided at its upper extremity with the cap 19 having the collar 19"I- for the recept-ion of a cable containing the two wires of an electric circuit. Mounted within the shell 18 and cap 19 are the insulating sleeves 2() and 2l, respectively. Mounted within the .insulating sleeve 2O is the supporting member 22 o'lI insulate ing material. Said supporting member 22 carries the switch contacts 10 and 11, the relatively movable contact member 12 and the operating mechanism for said relatively movable contact member l2. The holding member 22 is secured, by means of the bolts 2222, to the insulatingl member 23, which ls )neunte-Jl within the insulating sleeve 20.

Riveted to the holding member 22 is the upstanding frame 24, which frame provides the Supporting means for the control lever 17 of the movable switch member 12. The frame 24 is secured to the holding member 22 by means of riveted over tongues 241 extending from said frame through corresponding apertures in said member Said 'frame 24 includes a portion 25 which occupies a plane substantially parallel with the axis of the sleeve 18. Immovably carried by the frame 24 is the sleeve 26, within which is mounted a rotatable sleeve 27 provided with the flange 28. Mounted Within the sleeve 27 is the insulating sleeve 29, which encases the arm 3() of the control lever 17, said sleeves 27 and 29 and arm 30 being nonrotatably connected relative to one another. The immovable sleeve 26 provides a bearing for the sleeve 27 and also serves as a bearing for the sleeve 31, which is mounted outwardly of the immovable sleeve 26. The sleeve 31 is provided with the flange Mounted outwardly of the sleeve 31 is the coil spring 33, which biases the sleeve 31 to a predetermined position. The flange 32 has a struck out port-ion 32 adapted at a certain point in its revolution to engage a portion of the flange 28 of the sleeve 27. lnasmuch as the sleeve 27 is non-rotatably secured to the shank 30 of the lever 17, rotation of the sleeve 31, acting through the sleeve 27, will communicate a movement of rotation to the shank 30 of the lever 17. Rotau tion of the shank 30 of the lever 17 results in the movement of the bridging contact member 22 from one of its biased positions to the other of its biased positions, that is to sayfrom a circuit closing position to a circuit opening position, or reversely. Rotation of the sleeve 31 against the tension of the spring 33 is accomplished by means of the fiexible operating member 311, which according to common practice may be a metal chain and which is attached at one of its ends to the flange 32 of sleeve 31. Said member 34 extends outwardly of the casing 18 through the guide 35.

The guide 35 comprises a bell-shaped portion 36 and the skirt portion 37, which portion 37 may be swedged to the bell-shaped portion 36. Said skirt portion 37 has one flange 38 adapted to engage the inner periphery of the insulating sleeve 20. Said skirt portion 37 also includes the holding portion 38, which holding portion 38 is swedged intermediate olf its Width to provide a grooved portion l. The frame 24 has a tongue 40 cut out and struck up therefrom. The grooved portion 39 of the holding portion 38 ofthe guide 35 is adapted to fit along the struck up tongue et() oi the frame 24, whereby movement is prevented in a plane parallel with the axis of the casing 18 of the switch. Movement outwardly o't the guide 35 of the casing 18 is prevented by reason oi the eligagement of the holding member 37 with the inner periphery ot' the insulating sleeve 20. The sleeve 1S and insulating member 2() will be slotted at their upper extremities for the reception of the holding member 22, the switch mechanism carried thereby, and the bell-shaped guide 35. Axial movement of the holding member 22 and the parts attached thereto Will be prevented by reason of the engagement of the cap 19 and insulating sleeve 21 with the insulating member 23, which insulating member 23, as explained above, is attached to the holding member 22.

By reason ot the present invention above described a guide is provided which may be readily assembled in position in a socket and which Will be held in place without provision of special holding devices. By reason of the fact that the control lever 17 and switch contacts are insulated from the operating member 34 and the parts operated thereby, there is little danger of shock to a person handling the operating member, which shock might otherwise occur, particularly in a damp place.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, it will be clear that many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Vhat is claimed is:

1. In an electric socket, in combination, insulating supporting means, a frame carried by said supporting means, switch mechanism carried by said frame, a flexible operating member for said switch mechanism, a guide for said operating member, said frame and said guide having interlitting tongue and groove means engaging along lines disposed in a direction parallel with the axis of' said guide, and a sleeve member encircling said frame and abutting said guide to hold said guide against movement outwardly of said socket.

2. In an electric socket, in combination, an insulating support, frame means carried by said support, switch mechanism carried by said frame means, a flexible operating member for said switch mechanism, guide means for said operating member, one of said means having a projecting member intertting into a corresponding recess in the other of said means to prevent movement of said guide in both directions axially of said socket, and a shell encircling said frame means enclosing part of said guide means to prevent movement of said guide means outwardly from said socket.

3. In an electric socket, in combination, switch mechanism including a supporting member extending across said socket, flexible operating means for said switch mechanism, and a guide member for said operating means, one of said members having a projecting portion extending crosswise of said socket interitting into a corresponding recess in the other oi said members for preventing movement of said guide member axially of said socket relative to said sup-porting member.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 29th day of January, 1925.

DAVID D. GORDON. 

